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Article history: Water is a source of necessity for humans. Water quality is very important to be
considered as the source of clean water. Some people in Maros Baru District use
Received: December 21, 2021
ground wells as the source of water needs. Therefore it is important to know the
Revised: January 06, 2022
physical quality and pH level of shallow wells and to know the worthiness of
Accepted: February 12, 2022
shallow wells in Maros Baru District with reference to Permenkes No.492/ 2010.
This study examined the feasibility of water based on the physical quality and the
pH level of water taken from shallow wells. The research was carried out directly
Keywords: in field with 14 sampling points scattered in the north, east, south, west and at
Shallow groundwater; the center of field. The method in observing pH value is by litmus paper and
Water physics parameters; observation on the physical condition of water, well depth, well diameter and
Water pH; surface level of water. The result shows there were 2 locations with saltwater
Quality; taste, as the location is near from the sea and rivers, while turbidity of the water
Consumable water. influenced by condition of surround environment that was not properly
maintained. From data processing, it can be concluded that as many as 5 of the
14 sampling points did not meet the eligibility standards of Permenkes
No.492/2010 to be used as a source of clean water intended for drinking water.
To cite this article: Umar, E, P., Nawir, A., Pakka, H, M., Jamaluddin., Tappa, N, S. and Joemsittiprasert, W. (2022).
Analysis of Shallow Groundwater Quality as Consumable Water in Maros Baru District Aquifer Systems, South Sulawesi,
Indonesia. International Journal of Hydrological and Environmental for Sustainability, 1(1), 33-40.
INTRODUCTION
Water is a natural resource that is very important for the survival of all living thing, especially
humans. Every day, humans use water for daily needs such as: drinking, cooking, washing, and
watering plants (Adimalla, N. 2013). Water sources are susceptible to contaminants, as well as
groundwater which can be contaminated by many factors, one of them is microbiological factors
(Prilia and Kamil, 2011). World conservation experts predict that by 2025 world's population will
have difficulty in accessing clean water (Zazili, 2008 in Indrawan, 2016).
Along with the rapid development of technology and population, development progress in all
aspects of human life, the fulfillment against water resource needs is also increasing. One of the
aspect that affects groundwater potential is the geological condition of an area (Umar et al., 2019).
Increment of natural resources is very important in maintaining the continuity and balance of
people's lives including the sufficiency of water resources (Nawir and Umar, 2018). One of the
sources of irrigation water is ground water (Adimalla, N., & Venkatayogi, S. 2018). Groundwater is
one of water resources whose volume and existence is limited, and its damage can have a wide
International Journal of Hydrological and Environmental for Sustainability
Umar et al., 2022 Analysis of Shallow Groundwater Quality . . .
impact, recovery efforts are difficult and expensive to be performed (Darwis, 2014). Groundwater is
water contained in layers of soil or rocks below the ground surface (Karimuddin et al., 2018).
Ground water is a necessary need for society. The increasing number of residents along with
the growing clean water demand, makes maintenance of groundwater quality become a necessity
(Yuliani et al., 2019). Groundwater is part of rainwater that reaches the earth's surface and seeps into
the soil layer and becomes ground water (De et al., 2008). Before reaching the groundwater aquifer,
rainwater penetrates several layers of soil and cause the water to contain mineral substances in
certain concentrations. These mineral substances include calcium, magnesium and heavy metals
such as iron (Chandra, 2007 in Mashadi et al., 2018).
Groundwater can be either deep well water or shallow well water. Ground wells or shallow
wells are the most common and widespread constructed wells used to extract groundwater for
community's clean water needs and also can be used as drinking water with an average depth of 7 to
10 meters and not more than 15 meters from the ground surface (Umar and Nawir, 2018). Ground
wells provide water that comes from a layer of soil that is relatively close to the ground surface,
therefore it can be easily contaminated (Al-ahmadi, M. E., & El-Fiky, A. A. 2009). Drilled wells (pumps)
or deep groundwater are layers of groundwater that are drilled deeper or layers of soil that are far
from the ground surface and difficult to reach, therefore slightly affected by surface contamination,
commonly the depth is more than 15 meters (Suryana, 2013 in Ningrum, 2018).
There are many benefits of groundwater those have been described and experienced by
humans. It would be nicer if ground water could be protected from pollution and also conserved
through conservation of ground water (Carneiro et al., 2010). Preservation of groundwater can be
done by making rainwater infiltration wells and reducing the production of groundwater polluting
waste (Chandrasekar et al., 2014). If the existence of ground water is maintained then human survival
will also be protected (WHO. 2004). Samples of clean water providers are carried out from existing
surface water reservoirs and rivers (Hadimuljono, 2019).
Maros Regency, precisely in Maros Baru District, is one of the areas in South Sulawesi which
has fairly rapid regional development including the growth of community needs which is increasing
day by day. The fulfillment of clean water needs is a very important effort in order to maintain the
health of surrounding environment. Therefore, this study was performed by physically analyze water
quality then provide recommendations regarding ground well water or shallow groundwater that is
suitable for clean water and drinking water for the community in the research area.
METHOD
The research is performed in Maros Baru District, Maros Regency, South Sulawesi Province. New
Maros Subdistrict has 7 (seven) administrative divisions with details of 3 (three) major-villages i.e :
Baji Pamai, Baju Bodoa, and Pallantikang Villages and 4 (four) minor-villages which are Borikamase,
Borimasunggu, Majannang, and Mattirotasi villages (Figure 1).
Collecting data in form of primary and secondary data. Primary data is obtained directly from
research environment in form of ambient air temperature, water pH (using litmus paper), colour,
taste, smell, and turbidity, the weather, well depth and diameter, water level, interview and villages
pictures. The interview process for well owners were carried out in order to obtain information
about the depth of well and problems that usually occur in relation to the well. Position coordinates
were taken by plotting the location of shallow wells using Google Earth. Data retrieval is taken in
areas that represent the north, east, south, west and central directions. However, in the west
direction, to be precise in the northwest, no sampling was carried out due to land condition of the
area was mostly rice fields and there were no well or shallow groundwater (shallow wells) was built
within the areas. For secondary data, in form of literature reviews which are related to this study.
The data obtained in the field are in raw data form, both primary data and secondary data, then
processed based on the type of data. The obtained or processing were then analysed and matched to
the main reference of PERMENKES No.492/2010.
The salty taste comes from water in ST1 with 5 meters depth while ST2 with 4 meters depth
due to the location is close to open sea and rivers. Seawater comes from rainwater that flows through
rivers and eventually empties into the sea, which will evaporate into clouds and fall back into rain.
Throughout the process, water flowing through rivers carries salts mineral such as potassium,
calcium, sodium and others. These salts mineral are obtained from rocks and the earth's crust which
is passed along the flowing water. When it reaches the sea, the salts mineral remain while the H 2O
evaporates into clouds. The remaining mineral salts are what make sea water salty. This salty
seawater flows into the aquifer layer which causes the water in the well tastes salty. At ST1 location
the water was cloudy, in contrast to ST2 location where the water was clear.
This is because ST1 is within radius 4 meters from nearby an old ground well functioned as a
garbage dump of surrounding community where leachate from the waste pollutes the water quality
around ST1. This is different from ST2; the water is clear as ST2 well is inside a resident's house,
with low level of pollution and less dissolved substances such as clay within the earth water source.
Water in shallow wells in ST2, by refers to the pH level, it could be directly used as source of drinking
water, however does not meet other requirements to be used as drinking water, therefore treatment
must be carried out in form of distillation to produce healthy fresh water.
To the south location, there is ST5. Shallow wells at ST5 were placed in open space and water
sampling were performed on the ground. The well has 5 meters depth, pH of 7 with physical
properties of water color is brownish yellow, odorless, tasteless, and the level of turbidity is cloudy.
The brownish-yellow and cloudy water occurs at this location is due to the large amount of dissolved
clay in the well. The physical condition of shallow wells ST5 can be seen in Figure 3.
In the East direction of the research location, there are ST6, ST11, ST13 and ST14 (Figure 4).
These four locations are in open spaces, exposed directly to sunlight. At this location, water sampling
was only on the surface, the shallow wells water had physical properties of colorless, odorless,
tasteless and had a clear level of turbidity. The physical condition of the water is due to the fact that
the surrounding environment is quite clean. The North direction which represents the research
location of ST12, and the center point of the research location is represented by ST10, can be seen in
Figure 4 (Map of observation location and water sampling). Both of these locations are in an open
space. Sampling of water is only on the surface, has the same pH of 7 and has the same physical
properties of shallow wells, namely colorless, odorless, tasteless and clear turbidity. The surrounding
environmental areas were also very clean.
The type of soil found in Maros Baru District is mostly alluvial soil. This type of soil can affect
water quality because of the large amount of sedimentary materials mixed in it (Brindha, K., & Elango,
L. 2012). One of the influencing factors during sampling is temperature as it affects the water surface
level. If the air temperature is high then the water level will be lowered as evaporation rate is high.
Other consideration is when it is going to be rain or have just rain. Rain affects the level of acidity of
the water, moreover, this condition affects the turbidity of well water. When it rains, the precipitated
clay will mix again and make the water cloudy. The average temperature at the time of water
sampling of this study site were ranged from 32 to 33 oC.
depth of 5 meters, water level of 224 cm and diameter of 69 cm. ST5 is located at coordinates of
5.010101°S 119.543703°E, has depth of 5 meters, water level of 246 cm and diameter of 99 cm.
Color is one of the parameters of the physical properties to determine the quality of shallow
wells. There are two colors of well water obtained at the research site, namely clear (colorless) and
brownish yellow. The location of the yellow-brown well is at ST5, precisely at coordinates
5.010101°S 119.543703°E with depth of 5 meters, water level of 246 cm and diameter of 99 cm. This
is due to the large amount of dissolved clay in the well and the soil around the location is brown.
Areas or locations whose clean water source are suit the regulation of the Minister of Health of the
Republic of Indonesia No.492/MENKES/PER/IV/2010 in Maros Baru District, Maros Regency, South
Sulawesi Province are located in the center to north and to east. For areas whose water source not
suitable for use as clean water and drinking water is from south to west along the Maros river basin
(Figure 4).
CONCLUSION
The conclusions of this study are: (1) The physical properties of shallow groundwater (shallow wells)
in the study area were varied in color, tasteless, odorless and cloudy water. This is because the
conditions around the well are not clean enough. The pH level of water in the residence ground wells
varied from pH 6 to 8. (2) The eligibility of shallow groundwater in Maros Baru District, Maros
Regency, South Sulawesi Province, by refers to the Regulation of the Minister of Health of the
Republic of Indonesia No.492/MENKES/PER /IV/2010, there are 5 of the 14 sampling locations
those do not meet the eligibility standards to be used as source of drinking water, located in the area
along Maros river from south to west. Areas of waters that eligible as the source of clean water and
proper as drinking water, are located in the center to north and to east of the research area site. For
research results that show that the water quality standards meet the requirements, the researchers
suggest to the community to first treat shallow groundwater (wells) to be used for consumption
purposes, such as filtering and settling first.
AKNOWLEDGMENT
Author would like to extend high appreiation and many thanks the Regional Government of Maros
Regency, South Sulawesi Province - especially in the New Maros District and to Head of Mining
Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Indonesian Muslim University.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest concerning the publication of this article. The authors
also confirm that the data and the article are free of plagiarism.
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